Drug Trafficking Ring Poses as 'Lightning McQueen' for Deliveries in Kaohsiung, 5 Arrested, 3 Detained

(CNA reporter Hong Hsueh-kuang Kaohsiung, July 7) The Kaohsiung Criminal Investigation Division has busted a drug trafficking ring that used the animated character "Lightning McQueen" from "Cars" as a code name for drug transactions, luring young people through social media for face-to-face deals. Police arrested five individuals, seizing a large quantity of drug-laced coffee packets and ketamine. Three of them have been detained and denied visitation.

The Kaohsiung City Police Department's Criminal Investigation Division, specifically the Anti-Drug Task Force and the Sixth Investigation Corps, recently collaborated with the Fengshan Precinct Investigation Corps and Wenshan Police Station to successfully dismantle a large-scale new synthetic drug trafficking operation. To evade police detection, the drug trafficking group used the character "Lightning McQueen" from Pixar's famous animation "Cars" as a code name for drug transactions, advertising "express delivery" as a gimmick to lure young customers on various social media platforms.

Police investigation revealed that the 27-year-old main suspect, surnamed Lin, and his accomplices, recognizing the appeal of luxury cars and popular culture among young people, deliberately set up their drug dealing account on messaging apps under the name "Lightning McQueen." They used "McQueen drinks" and "get cigarettes from McQueen" as transaction codes. This move not only served to conceal their activities but also aimed to package drugs as "trendy merchandise" to lower the vigilance of teenagers.

The Kaohsiung Criminal Investigation Division held a press conference this morning, stating that the group operated on a "mobile warehouse" model. Lin directed members to carry drugs in vehicles, ready for dispatch at any time. A 27-year-old woman, surnamed Huang, was responsible for pushing drug advertisements. Once an order was received, group members surnamed Chang, Tsao, and Hung would drive modified vehicles and, mimicking McQueen's "speed" in the animation, conduct face-to-face transactions in the city.

After months of surveillance and investigation, the police launched multiple dawn raids between late March and late June of this year, successfully arresting Lin and four other members of the drug trafficking ring. They seized a large quantity of mixed-drug coffee packets and ketamine. The case was transferred to the Kaohsiung District Prosecutors Office for investigation. After interrogation, the prosecutor applied for detention, and the Kaohsiung District Court ruled to detain the main suspect, Lin, and two others, denying them visitation.

The Criminal Investigation Division stated that Kaohsiung police have cracked a total of 3,020 drug cases of various types this year, an increase of 23.97% from the 2,436 cases in 2023. Among these, 7,138 drug-laced coffee packets were seized in 2024, an increase of 52.6% compared to the 4,676 packets in 2023. (Editor: Chen Jen-hua) 1150707

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